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The Legacy of Mrs DUTHU
Below is the text of the will of the generous benefactress, which one can consider as the deed of foundation of the parish of la Monselie.
"In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, so be it. This is my last will and testament. I give a loan of 7 978 francs to be sold for the building of the church, the presbytery and the school of la Monselie, district of Antignac, canton of Saignes (Cantal).
This sum will be given within 2 month after my death to Doctor Sabatier living in la Monselie, who in turns will give it to the syndics named by the inhabitants of Muradès to supervise the work of the aforesaid constructions.
Such are my formal intentions, on this day February the 27th 1854. "
Signed: LEGROS Marie Henriette, widow of Jean DUTHU.
Some words about the donor and her family:
Mr DUTHU, born in the provinces (Hautes-Pyrénées), had moved to Paris with his maid Marie LEGROS who gave him a daughter Marie Henriette. Some years after, he married his daughter to his brother and died without having legalized his situation with the mother. Marie Henriette was therefore a natural child and her husband, who died before her, gave her the possessions he had inherited from his brother who had made a fortune in Paris in the chocolate business.
Marie Thérèse LEGROS, born in Paris and widow of Jean DUTHU, died at 57 at her living place, 51 rue des Batailles, at 10 o'clock in the evening on March the 21st 1854. In her will dated February the 27th of the same year, she had instituted as sole legatee her friend Mrs Louise Thérèse COLLOT, window of Marius Hippolyte SENS, a person of private means living in Batignolles.
Below is the list of her possessions when she died:
A house in Paris, 21 rue Philippeau: 30.000 F
A house in Versailles, 71 rue Satory: 25.000 F
Her furniture estimated at 1.433 F
A state revenue at 3%: 338 F
A state revenue at 3 %: 63 F
11 hectares of land at Marcoussis (S&O), of an annual rent of 5,26 ha: 14.690 F
Lastly, a revenue of 7.948 francs bequeathed to the hamlet of Monselie representing a capital of 165.000 francs.
But things did not go smoothly. Everyone wanted his share of the cake, as we will see. Doctor SABATIER, in spite of the steps of his uncle, Father Noël, did not enter into possession of the money, as stated in the testament.
The family of the deceased opposed to the will and the sole legatee, Mrs SENS, still held the legacy in question, but the will was already between the hands of Mr BOISSEL notary in Paris.
The latter referred the matter to Mr ARNOUX, prefect of Cantal, who made up a folder and dragged things out for more than two years. During this time, a number of letters were exchanged between the prefect and the minister, the minister and the prefect, the notary and the prefect, the prefect and the sub-prefect, the sub-prefect and the mayor of Antignac, Mr ARMAND.
In the meantime, Mr Armand and the town council had taken many decisions that are worth noting.